Severer Eczema Atopic Dermatitis

[mushroomer]

Hi fellow Eczemites

I also have had severe eczema.  Mine started in my arm joints, earlobe, behind the knees when I was in Jr High.  since then, i have used protopic and many other steroid creams.  currently, my hands are unevenly dry.  to the point of cracking.  i was given a very strong steroid cream for that which i feel like is causing more damage than healing.  
My scalp is so dry that i have insane amount of dandruff and my car which has a black interior looks more like a grey interior because my dandruff has accumulated so much.  its gross.

my groin area currently is rather itchy at times but i try to take breaks from the steroids for a few weeks and when it gets out of hand, i resort to them and they seem to work for a while but then the cycle continues.

my next step in this is to try an allergist.  not a dermatologist.  they only give creams and basically cover up the problem that is probably caused by a few foods i eat.  I have this theory that tap water which contains flouride, as well as chlorine isnt really good for you either. But i still drink it.  

I want to try bottled water diet for a while.

The severe days of eczema include: forearms that are red from itching.  scabs building up behind my neck where hair starts to grow.  a bright red raw fleshy patch that is sooo itchy that you end up getting somepleasure from the itching process(behind my one knee) samething happens to my groin area.  it gets soo itchy that it starts to feel good in an itchy way.  

Anybody else who experiences this please comment and let me knwo about your experiences too..
my email is mrmushroomer at ya hoo *******

[smiling_at_you]

I have had dishydrotic eczema (atopic dermatitis) on my hands for the last year-and-a-half. It mainly consists of tiny fluid-filled blisters in between my fingers, on the sides of my fingers, on my palms, and at the wrist line. Sometimes it is just one blister here and there; other times it is a cluster of blisters that eventually fuse into one larger, irregularly shaped blister. Some of the blisters are itchy and/or painful, others have no itch or pain at all. Usually, they disappear in a matter of days, but there are always new ones appearing in other places so the condition never really seems to go away. Initially, the blisters only appeared during the hottest summer months, but now I have them at any time of the year. I use only baby soap and mild shampoos, I do not expose my hands to excessive amounts of water, I am under mild stress but control it to the best of my ability, I do not have any major allergies (except perhaps dust mites), and my diet is generally healthy.
Is there anything I can do to treat the blisters and prevent recurrence? I could not find anything new on the Internet that has helped me and my doctor said he could prescribe steroids for quality of life improvement, but there is no cure and it may become chronic. The only thing I haven't tried is cutting out nickel-rich foods such as almonds, figs, pineapples, red wine, chocolate, whole grains, but these are considered "healty" or "beneficial" foods (in moderation) so I don't really feel like giving them up so quickly.

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.
Eczema is one condition where the hands get cracked. In this disorder contact with triggering factors like soaps, cosmetics, jewelry, clothing, and detergents causes symptoms. Sometimes sweat, changes in temperature and psychological stress are known to trigger these episodes.

For therapy the best way is to prevent attacks by identify those substances which you are allergic to and avoid them. So, Allergy testing would be worth looking into. And treatment is with cortisone based creams, which need to be very potent and of increased strength to heal the cracks.  Always wear gloves for  washing and while going outside, as cold increases drying. Don't wash your hands anymore than necessary and use very mild soaps. Apply constantly plenty of good moisturizing creams and alternate with steroid creams. Use a humidifier in the rooms to avoid dryness.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.